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Committee finalizes floor presentation plans for housing bill amid appropriations substitute
Summary
The House General & Housing Committee used the end of its March 25 meeting to organize floor presentations for a multi‑section housing bill, review Ways and Means and Appropriations committee actions, and set a 9:00 a.m. straw poll before floor debate.
Committee leadership spent the latter portion of the March 25 meeting preparing members to present the housing bill on the House floor the following day.
The chair reviewed speaker order, asked members to prepare brief written remarks tied to specific sections, and instructed reporters to reference the House calendar page for the bill when presenting on the floor. Members were advised to keep remarks short, to yield the floor to the next assigned member at the end of their remarks, and to be prepared to yield or request a brief recess to consult legislative counsel if they are asked a procedural or legal question during floor debate.
Committee members were also briefed on a parallel appropriations action. The Appropriations Committee circulated a substitute recommendation that removes the bill’s appropriation items and substitutes funding actions to be handled in the budget process. The chair summarized several changes reported by Appropriations: the bond bank funded at roughly half of the request; the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) funding was reduced; the Vermont Housing Investment Program (VHIP) received partial funding but not all requested positions; universal design received $15,000; and a Vermont Affordable Communities/Community Benefit (VACB) item received $5 million total with an adjusted allocation mix toward housing. Committee members were told the Appropriations substitution will be reported after Ways and Means; both committee reports may be presented on the floor and members should be prepared for procedural votes when the bill is called.
The committee scheduled a 9:00 a.m. meeting on the following day for straw votes on committee amendments and noted an informational session at 9:30 a.m. with Betsy (last name not specified in transcript) about constitutional amendment procedures. Members agreed to circulate short written testimony and to coordinate who will be the floor reporter and who will yield to whom during the formal floor presentation.
